Green & Gold
by Ranayana
Summary: Two years after the defeat of You-Know-Who, the Quidditch World Cup is about to spark off the new millennia. Old adversaries unite again for a final game...  Story features short takes on times past and present as the 2000 World Cup approaches
1. Chapter I

**A/N: This little story is quite unlike my other ones, but ever since reading the Goblet of Fire (almost 10 years ago now), I've wanted to write a story centering around the Irish National Quidditch Team... and especially their Seeker. I don't know why, but I was just so fascinated about the way J.K.R. described the World Cup...**

**So, I hope there are other Quidditch people like me out there somewhere, and I most certainly hope that the story is worth the read!**

_Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter (obviously)! That honor goes to J.K. Rowling!_**  
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><p><strong>Green &amp; Gold - Chapter I<strong>

**_Preface_**

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><p>A lot had changed in almost two years, but even so the wizarding world was still healing from the deep wounds the dark times had left behind. For the past several months, the Ministry of Magic had struggled to bring back order and justice, and every member of every department had worked hard on bringing life back to normal. And one of those <em>normalities<em> was Quidditch.

Ever since the 1994 World Cup, things had been different even among the sport circuits. The league had continued its run, but when the Ministry had finally admitted and announced the return of You-Know-Who in spring 1996, the Britain-Ireland Quidditch league had been closed. On request the teams had still met for a game or two, but as the deaths and disappearances had increased, "Quidditch" had unlikely been the first thought of any wizard or witch – even among the most loyal of fans. For two years there had only been one echo of words – _the dark lord is back._

But, as said, things change. And two years is a long time when used wisely.

On December 20th, 1999 the Daily Prophet wrote to announce that the Quidditch World Championships would be held at the dawn of the new Millennia. The Cup had been cancelled in 1998, but instead of waiting another four years, all international board members agreed on setting the tournament dates for the 423rd Quidditch World Cup in 2000. The hottest teams for the Cup were naturally Ireland and Bulgaria, but since we're talking about a new millennia _and_ the first World Cup in six years, no team was going to walk away with the trophy.

This is what the Prophet wrote:

_Quidditch World Cup sparks off the new millennia._

_It is time to look ahead instead of behind. The 423rd Quidditch World Cup will be held in 2000, with over thirty nations involved and twenty-four teams participating. Games will be held worldwide during spring and summer, and the final is set to be played in France before the end of August. And, w__ith twenty-four teams on the block, all are looking for their best to bring the Cup home._

_While others still look for that golden team, Ireland seems set for the coming challenge. After a first completed League season in three years, Ballycastle's world class chaser trio Troy-Mullet-Moran, together with beater Quigley, will join forces with their fellow Irishmen of the Kenmare Kestrels – Lynch, Ryan and Connolly, to try and repeat the 1994 World Cup victory. The team has been seen practicing together again after a break, and with seeker Aidan Lynch again as team Captain the Irish national team is a strong contender for the World Cup._

_Other hot names for the World Tournament are Peru, Romania, Singapore, England, and of course _Bulgaria with seeker prodigy Viktor Krum as team leader_. Many are already talking about a possible rematch between Ireland and Bulgaria, thinking that perhaps it is Bulgaria's turn to take the Cup. Nevertheless, it is building up to be a World Cup to remember._

Eight months later, with more than thirty games played and 12 050 points scored, it was quite clear which two teams were the leading contenders for the 2000 Cup...

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><p><strong>AN: I'm very unsure about the prospects of this particular story, so any kind of opinions and comments are very much welcome. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter II

_Disclaimer: Still not mine..._

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><p><strong>Green &amp; Gold - Chapter II<strong>

**_The Players_**

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><p><em>.:August 2000:.<em>

Diagon Alley had been strangely quiet and empty since the return and eventual defeat of You-Know-Who, but on this sunny day in August it was crowded and the reason for that was the ongoing rumble around the Quidditch World Cup Tournament.

The hustle in one particular shop was overwhelming. It had been increasing for the last couple of hours and had now reached the point of explosion. Every square meter of the wooden floor was crowded, and the commerce had never been this good. Not for one short afternoon. Nor had it ever occurred that an entire team of players was present at such an occasion.

As it was, the entire first floor was decorated in green and gold, and several reporters and photographers were crowding their way through the Irish and British Quidditch lovers.

Somewhere, someone raised a voice over the crowd, trying to get the attention of the seven casually dressed players, all of them the main focus in the shop.

"What do you think of Bulgaria's defense? It's developed some since last time. At least their chasers are better than Hungary's…"

One of the players – a witch with a lean figure and thick chestnut hair – drummed her long nails on the table in front of her and fixed the journalist with a steady glare, a small smile playing on her purple painted lips. "That's what they said about Peru before the quarters..."

Beside her, a wizard with coarse hair and wild brown eyes chuckled. "And that translates to, how many Quaffles did they get past our keeper?"

"Thank you, Quigley." Dark haired Ryan muttered, shaking his head in amusement at the reference.

The well-muscled Keeper turned his attention back to the young boy standing before him with several pictures waiting to be signed. It was almost absurd how much a hasty scrabble of ink on a piece of parchment could mean to some people. But, having played in the League for more than ten seasons, Barry Ryan was used to it.

Another Wizard with light chestnut hair and a slight build, stood next to Ryan talking quietly to the stockier Braden Connolly and the taller Coleman Troy. When he heard his name being called, he lifted his gaze calmly towards the source, his strange hazel green eyes instantly focusing on the right person in the crowd.

"Mr. Lynch, what was it that Troy said when you caught that snitch in less than five minutes against Croatia?"

The fair skinned Seeker chuckled with a shake of his head. "You'll have to ask _him_..."

"Oh, c'mon, now."

Lynch glanced sideways at his teammate and then grinned as he mimicked Troy's voice. "Bloody hell, Aidan, at least give us some time to score."

Troy chuckled from beside him, giving him a playful bunch on the shoulder. "Oh yeah, and what was it that _you _said in return? 'Well, you old oaf, score faster'... and I did... a week later against Peru." The last bit he said with a wink at the crowd.

"What's it going be in the final?" The same reporter continued, quill and parchment at the ready. "Mr. Lynch?"

"Neither team is going to walk away with the trophy. The team is strong, but to be fair, I doubt that Bulgaria is going to let us repeat the 1994 game."

Several in the crowd of fans whistled or cheered at the last words. Everyone remembered Ireland's legendary campaign in 1994, and then the game of the year against Bulgaria in the final.

"Miss Moran?"

Chewing thoughtfully on her purple lips, Moran pulled her hat straight before answering. "If we're at the top of our game, we'll outscore them. But, like Aidan said, we're not going to walk away with the trophy." She threw a glance at Lynch and then smiled mischievously. "Win or lose, Aidan won't hit the dirt this time."

Lynch, who had been taking a sip of water, almost spilled the contents and then gave her a disdainful glare. "Thanks, Isibeal."


	3. Chapter III

__Disclaimer: Story's mine, the characters are not!__

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><p><strong>Green &amp; Gold - Chapter III<strong>

**_That One Game_**

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><p>An hour later, when things finally quieted down, Aidan slipped away from the crowd and stopped just outside the backdoor of the two-story building. The main stream of Diagon Alley, with its colorful shops and sights was to his right and the quiet darkness of a back alley was to his left.<p>

As he leaned against the wall Aidan closed his eyes, thinking about what was ahead. It had been a long road, not unlike last time, but still different. Everyone was still affected by the war, but they were all heading forward, trying to forget.

The night of August 22nd 1994, was one of those constant reminders...

_-0-0-0-_

_Lynch could hear the cheers and the roar from the crowd all the way to the locker room. It was like an approaching shock wave. His fingers were cold as ice as he put on the pads, and his breathing came in quick edgy inhales and slow shaky exhales. Looking around at his six teammates, he knew he wasn't the only one feeling anxious._

_He knew, though, that the anxiety would disappear the moment they all got on their firebolts and soared into the lighted stadium. They had come this far together, and they would finish it together. Just one more game._

_Standing by the runway to the pitch, Aidan called the team together. They all knew what to do. He didn't bother to speak it out loud. It wasn't needed. Just by looking at him they knew what he wanted to say. Just one phrase was spoken._

_"Let's go get them."_

_From then on the battle was on. It was like a duel between wizards from start to finish. Bulgaria's chasers didn't stand a chance against their Irish opponents, and therefore resorted to foul play. With his concentration on finding the snitch, Aidan was in almost constant motion, sweeping between the players or levitating above them, looking for a glimmer of gold. His Bulgarian opponent, Krum, did the same._

_Then, barely half an hour into the game, Aidan lost sight of Krum for a mere second and the next time he looked at him the Bulgarian seeker was diving. Cursing his lack of attention, Aidan went after him. He dove through the ongoing game below and was soon side by side with Krum. As they plummeted towards the ground, Aidan suddenly got the unnerving feeling that Krum was fooling him, but he never got the chance to confirm it. And then it happened..._

_A flash, searing pain and a moment of total blackness. When Aidan saw clearly again, the ground was much too close and he had just enough time break his dive slightly before hitting the ground with a sickening force. This time the world went black for more than a mere moment._

_After getting back on his broom, the game took a new turn. Troy, Mullet and Moran played faster and more fiercely than he had seen them play all season, and Quigley and Connolly hit the bludgers with such force and precision that it was almost frightening... especially since Volkov and Vulkanov answered with the same force._

_The game was downright ugly and furious from then on. The Irish chasers scored on and on until it seemed like the Bulgarians no longer knew what game they were playing. The only one that was still a threat was Krum, and Aidan was angry at himself for letting him get the upper hand for a moment._

_Krum and Aidan had had some match ups in the past, and it seemed like every other time it was Krum who took the honors, and every other time is was Lynch. If there was one seeker in the world who could come close to beating Krum's flying it was Lynch... and if there was one seeker in the world who could beat Lynch to the snitch it was Krum._

_Still, Aidan knew that he wasn't quite the seeker he had once had the promise to become. Not the seeker he wanted to be. He was fast. He was good. He was sharp. But, still not what he could be. If only…_

_He shook the thought away. Focus on the game..._

_The score was now 170 to 10. Bulgaria was crumbling. Quigley aimed a hard blow on a passing bludger and the black ball hit Krum squarely in the face._

_And that's when Aidan saw a glimmer of gold far below..._

_In a beat the Irish seeker was off. His firebolt swept towards the ground like lightning. But Krum was soon on his heels and once again the two seekers dove together between the players. The crowd was on its feet, sensing that this time it was the real thing. __The Irish seeker had seen the snitch._

_Waves of green and gold went through the spectators and those of the red and black who knew how to do a head count, groaned in frustration and fury._

_For a brief moment Aidan wondered what Krum would do. He wasn't stupid enough to catch the snitch now, was he?_

_The snitch was almost within Aidan's reach when his vision suddenly blurred and his head felt close to exploding. There was another flash and then he could feel the ground coming crushing towards him… or was it him crushing to the ground?_

_Lynch was shaking and almost blacked out when the Mediwizards and his teammates reached him. He could hear some hushed questions being asked, and some equally quiet answers being given. Then he could feel Troy touching him, checking for himself if he was all right._

_No. He wasn't all right. But he nodded slowly and opened his eyes. What had happened when he crashed? Was the game over? Aidan couldn't even place the score in his mind._

_Upon seeing his concerned expression, Troy grinned widely. __"We won, you idiot. We won."_

_For a brief second Aidan had no idea what that meant. Then it started to sink in. The game was over. They had won the World Cup. But…?_

_"Krum caught the snitch after you crashed." Moran answered with a grin, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. He perked a little. But just a little._

_But, the game. It was too good to be true. Aidan tried to stand up, but his head was spinning and his feet barely carried him. His entire body ached and he suspected that at least some of his bones had cracks._

_The others must have seen his discomfort, for Connolly and Quigley ran up to him to support him. He then barely heard Moran speak softly in his ear._

_"You gave us quite the scare, you know. This shouldn't have happened. You said…"_

_"Not now…" Aidan answered quietly. But he knew that she was right. It shouldn't have happened. He was supposed to be alright. Winning the World Cup was too good to be true, but still Aidan couldn't bring himself to feel proud or even overly happy about it. He had sworn to to his best for this team, even when they all knew that he was taking a huge risk in playing at all..._

_-0-0-0-_

"Aidan?"

The sudden voice brought him back to the present and Aidan quickly opened his eyes to see Barry looking down at him. Looking around, Aidan realized that he had sunk down on the ground with his back resting on the wall.

"Everything alright? We've been looking for you. The press conference is over. We're heading for a drink at the Falcon."

Aidan inhaled deeply and stood up, dusting off his robes. "I'm fine. Just needed a bit of fresh air."

Ryan raised one eyebrow skeptically, but he didn't say anything. He merely studied his friend, knowing that in due time he would get the answer. But, if Barry knew Aidan at all, it would have to wait until after the final game against Bulgaria.


End file.
